Vote for me to help me get my chickens please?

[Junochick]

Congratulations on the baby's I am glad you got them

 

[HeidiEmbrey]

Good luck sexing the silkie. I couldn't sex mine until either they crowed or layed an egg! Beautiful chicks~ So glad you went and got them. And don't be afraid to photo bomb this thread with pics of those adorable chickies!

I'm trying to get some good photos of them but they hate the camera and every time i take the camera out they all go run and ride in the corner and i get a photo of a pile of chicken butts I have quite a few of those lol but I will get some decent ones today I hope.. I just went to take some just now and they are all sleeping and i don't want to wake them up..I went to take photos earlier and their cage was a mess again had to change it again..ugg lol I'll post the few I have and more to come I think in every one of these they are hiding from the camera ..

my bed, their bed

hiding from the camera..

 

[DwayneNLiz]

as a note, put a thermo in there, you are in FL it is probably plenty warm for them
at 2 weeks old they should be around 80*, but with cooler areas available,
get that blanket off the top, can you say fire hazard, and lack of air/cool air

over heating will result in Pasty Butt and could result in death

 

[HeidiEmbrey]

as a note, put a thermo in there, you are in FL it is probably plenty warm for them
at 2 weeks old they should be around 80*, but with cooler areas available,
get that blanket off the top, can you say fire hazard, and lack of air/cool air

over heating will result in Pasty Butt and could result in death

It's been 50 degrees the last two nights and 60 degrees in my house. We don't have heat we just bundle up when it gets cold. I was keeping them 90 at night 80 in the day and now they are down to 85 at night and 75 in the day under the lamp, the other side is much cooler and their food and water is there. I don't feel I'm doing a bad job with their heat, and I'm a 41 year old mother of three I can say fire hazard but I've made sure everything is very securely in place, not to mention they have had constant supervision from the 5 of us..They aren't having a lack of air their box is only half covered and being opened to give them fresh food and water pretty much constantly, and uncovered during the day. Thank you though. I am being very careful about it. I know overheating is worse than under heating. I'm keeping their windows open during the day to get fresh air. Being very careful.

 

[HeidiEmbrey]

Actually these are the things I'm worried about. I put a bunch of sifted sand from my yard in there for a sand bath for them, but our sand is made out of bits of sea shell ..people are telling me sand from my yard is OK but I worry they're going to get a sharp piece, they're pecking at it.. I sifted and then rinsed and dried it to make sure it wasn't too salty lol I dunno ....Also I also am using mostly dried, deveined sugar cane, rosemary, and grass and grass seeds in their bedding, but especially the seed pods they are pecking at ..is that ok if they eat them? People told me put grass and dirt for them to root in but is it ok for them to eat it? Omg they are pigs not chickens I think! <3

 

[rjohns39]

Actually these are the things I'm worried about. I put a bunch of sifted sand from my yard in there for a sand bath for them, but our sand is made out of bits of sea shell ..people are telling me sand from my yard is OK but I worry they're going to get a sharp piece, they're pecking at it.. I sifted and then rinsed and dried it to make sure it wasn't too salty lol I dunno ....Also I also am using mostly dried, deveined sugar cane, rosemary, and grass and grass seeds in their bedding, but especially the seed pods they are pecking at ..is that ok if they eat them? People told me put grass and dirt for them to root in but is it ok for them to eat it? Omg they are pigs not chickens I think! <3

They eat grass, seeds of all kinds, bugs, etc. You've given them gourmet bedding.

 

[HeidiEmbrey]

They eat grass, seeds of all kinds, bugs, etc. You've given them gourmet bedding.

Even at two weeks that's ok? Thank you <3

 

[rjohns39]

Even at two weeks that's ok? Thank you <3

I'll often throw grass in their brooder to get them started on it. Just watch to make sure it doesn't get moldy.

 

[HeidiEmbrey]

I'll often throw grass in their brooder to get them started on it. Just watch to make sure it doesn't get moldy.

No chance of that. They are pooing so much I'm having to change it every 12 hours or so..this morning I had to change it twice because they were all playing chase with a seed pod and ran all through their water and made a huge mess. They're so funny .I've ordered some chicken nipples but they won't be here for another week or two.

 

[HeidiEmbrey]

Hey ya'll just to let you know ..My babies are all doing really well so far knock on wood. The one with the bum eye has healed! I can't believe it really. I took such a chance keeping her with the others but now she's the fattest tamest one from the extra care, and I can not believe really that her eye is better without medication, it looked so bad..all the feathers around it had been pecked away by other chicks at the store, and it was all small and red around and weeping, poor thing, but it has healed! I just boiled water and a little salt and washed her eye out and washed her face with a soft bamboo cloth with it 3 times a day and the third day it started healing. It's pretty much 100% now and the feathers all growing back. The others have not picked on her thank goodness.
I need to learn about what kind of grit to give them and when I can start introducing other foods. They only had the medicated chick starter feed at the shop where I got them, and I kind of thought after being around all those other birds they might need it for a while anyway, but I want to start making my own now. Anybody have a good recipe? I've been reasearching what plants are not good or poisonous for them in my yard. They love the rosemary, won't eat the basil.. I've been using tons of fresh native florida mint in their box to make it smell nice, they're not eating it. They only things I have put in there that they have pecked at and slowly nibbled are rosemary, clover, grass/seed pods, sugar cane, and longetivity spinach<that's their favorite... but I'm only giving them a tiny bit because I need to get them some chick grit first! this is our native mint that grows everywhere here..horsemint.. im just picking a box of stuff for them every morning and letting it dry in the sun and using the box I let dry the day before for their bedding= I have not managed to get any more pictures..they're either sleeping..it's too early or late=dark..or their tank needs to be cleaned..always something! I just tried again and too dark! They're growing so fast I need to get some more pronto <3 Hope you are all doing well. Happy Halloween!